The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus, a server apparatus and an information processing method for actively stimulating the circulation of information.
Right holders in possession of patents, utility models, trademarks, designs, copyrights, etc., are able to acquire royalties by granting licenses to others while protecting their businesses, products and creations through their rights. Upon coming across any party infringing on their rights, the right holders may issue warnings to the party in question and/or file a lawsuit with the court in order to protect their rights and increase their royalty earnings.
When looking for information indicative of any infringement on his rights, a right holder typically must purchase, disassemble and study any product suspected of infringing on the rights in question. The right holder must further interpret legally the relations between the scope of his rights and the supposedly infringing product. The proceedings involved are difficult to pursue by the right holder trying to prove the infringement to a third party.
In particular, it takes specialized technical and legal knowledge to analyze the relations between the product at issue and the scope of the right holder's rights. The prospect of having to acquire that knowledge or relevant expertise has often dissuaded the right holder from exercising his rights even if the rights have been legitimately acquired.
These difficulties have discouraged smooth circulation and effective utilization of right holders' lawful rights.